Restaurant Guide 2012: Neighborhood Eats

Good food, wherever you find yourself.

Waffles and chicken from James McClendon,
better known as J. Mack of the U-Krew rap-R&B quintet (“If U Were
Mine”) and “the strip-club king of Portland” for his column in Exotic
magazine. If this soul food doesn’t quite equal what the church folk
are dishing up at Po’Shines Cafe De La Soul in Kenton, it makes up for
it with party atmosphere, complete with a sexy Isley Brothers
soundtrack, zebra-striped bowls, and a turntable for late-night sets. AARON MESH.

This casual little Italian spot from Navarre’s John Taboada was recently named one of the 10 best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit.
I wouldn’t go that far, but it is a nice place to get a bowl of
housemade pasta and a build-your-own-feast of $2 antipasti. That
highfalutin magazine mention means things can get pretty busy for
dinner, so swing by at lunch, when $15 will net you a half-serving of
spaghetti, three antipasti and a glass of wine. RUTH BROWN.

Sure, it exists primarily to build brand identity by
loading sightseeing pack mules down with bushels of steel-cut oats they
could buy at their neighborhood grocery, but the Bob’s Red Mill
restaurant is a mighty nice place to get breakfast. Opening at the good,
honest hour of 6 am, there’s a big ol’ water-spun milling thingy
outside and big ol’ bowls of organic muesli and grits inside. You will
want to try making Bob’s scratch biscuits at home—which is part of its
plot. MARTIN CIZMAR.

Why must Bavarian food be limited to
Oktoberfest? At this charming faux-European country cottage, tucked away
on a side street off Capitol Highway, the sausage and schnitzels flow
year-round. Try the zigeunerschnitzel, pork loin slathered in red wine
sauce and served with chewy spaetzle. And don’t skip the dill pickle
soup. No, it’s not made from pickle juice: It’s marvelously creamy, and
so much better than its name implies. MATTHEW SINGER.

Finally celebrating its graduation to a
brick-and-mortar restaurant inside the renovated house next door
(rumored to be a former crack house), this mainstay St. Johns cart
expanded its menu to include happy-hour banh mi; a host of small plates;
noodles in broth with mussels, prawns or vegetables; and larger entrees
like Szechuan steak and sizzling rice soup. However, the lure of the
bao remains strong—duck confit, pork or a slice of surprisingly meaty
fried tofu and coconut-fat terrine are $3-$4 each, or opt for the
two-person DIY platter with four plain buns, two
fall-off-the-bone-tender Peking duck legs, green onions, pickled
vegetables, and housemade hoisin and plum sauces for $22. KAT MERCK.

Vancouver

Tan Tan Cafe & Delicatessen

316 SE 123rd Ave., Vancouver, 360-892-3400.

Like most things in the ’Couv, Tan Tan is
in a strip mall. Stifle the urge to run fast and far, because its
lemongrass pork salad rolls would roll over any Portland joint’s
offerings in a throwdown. The special pho is easily on par with Pho
Oregon and Pho An Sandy, and the addition of a fried egg to Tan Tan’s
classic or lemongrass chicken or pork bahn mi elevate the sandwich to
lunchtime sublimity. ANDREA DAMEWOOD.